


Succour

by azuredragonsleeps



Series: Strange Fellows [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Sokka (Avatar), Prison, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:48:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27110710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azuredragonsleeps/pseuds/azuredragonsleeps
Summary: "Shit.The other person was an Alpha. The smell was distinctive, now that he'd noticed it. Fuck. The Fire Nation had thrown him in a cell as his heat was coming on, with an Alpha. There was only one way this could go, and it didn't look good for Sokka. The worst part was, he'd beg for it. He was barely holding on to reason now, and the Alpha smelled good. They'd take Sokka and do what ever they wanted and he'd beg for it. Sokka wanted to throw up.Then the Alpha spoke. "Sokka?"How was this Sokka's life?"Zuko?" "OrSokka has been captured by the Fire Nation just as his heat is coming on. The last person he wants or expects to see in prison with him is the prince who'd chased him half way around the world.
Relationships: Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Strange Fellows [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2014714
Comments: 51
Kudos: 655





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I've somehow ended up writing an a/b/o fic?? I really never thought I'd be here. Be aware I don't really read a/b/o very often, so there may be some inconsistencies in the way I've written it. I just couldn't get this scenario out of my head. 
> 
> Warning: be aware there's some mentions of non-con in this fic. There isn't any actual non-con in it, and the threats are mild, but I'll put full details in the end notes so you can check if you're concerned.

The cell they threw Sokka into was cold and dark, which was why he didn't immediately notice that he wasn't alone. He stayed where they threw him for a moment, tired and hurt. Scared. He didn't know where he was, just knew it must be some kind of Fire Nation prison. He'd been grabbed while on a supply run, of all things. Apparently there were wanted posters with his face on now. Normally he'd have been pretty excited by that, but for now it's just been really fucking inconvenient, because it meant that some random Fire Nation footsoldiers had been eager to take him and collect a reward. 

Which would have been fine, he could have fought them off, except his heat was coming on.

Omegas weren't helpless-Sokka would fight anyone who suggested it-but it was true that in heat their focus started to slip and their strength faded. By the time he'd lost the fight and been bundled in to their wagon he had barely been able to focus on anything. The next time he'd been aware of his surroundings they had been pulling him roughly out, and the next thing he knew he'd been tossed in this cell. 

Which meant that he was stuck in a Fire Nation prison cell for his heat. 

Sokka's breath hitched slightly in panic at that thought. He hated how out of control he felt in heat, and the only thing that made it bearable was having his safe, warm, nest to spend it in, with Katara near by. Having one here would be awful.

At which point, the other person in the room shifted, and Sokka's slight panic notched up to full blown terror. He forced himself up and threw himself in to the corner, crouching with his back to the wall. His breath came faster and faster as he tried to make out the other person in the gloom. 

Shit. 

The other person was an Alpha. The smell was distinctive, now that he'd noticed it. Fuck. The Fire Nation had thrown him in here as his heat was coming on, with an Alpha. There was only one way this could go, and it didn't look good for Sokka. The worst part was, he'd beg for it. He was barely holding on to reason now, and the Alpha smelled  _ good _ . They'd take Sokka and do what ever they wanted and he'd  _ beg  _ for it. Sokka wanted to throw up. 

Then the Alpha spoke. "Sokka?"

How was this Sokka's life?

  
"Zuko?" What the fuck was the prince of the Fire Nation doing in a Fire Nation prison? 

  
Zuko stood up, stepping slightly closer, his head tilting curiously as he peered at Sokka. Sokka flinched, trying in vain to press himself closer to the wall. Zuko looked tired, his clothes dirty and a dark bruise streaking across the opposite side of his face to his scar. Despite that, there was still a power in his figure, something in his bearing that said Alpha and royal and strength. Fuck. Whatever Zuko was doing here, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Sokka was stuck with an alpha who was his enemy, who had tried to attack him again and again, and who now had the perfect opportunity to make him pay for every time they'd escaped. He let out a small whine of fear that he couldn't quite suppress, and then made himself look Zuko in the eyes. This might be one of the worst situations he'd ever found himself in, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't at least stand his ground for as long as he could.

Zuko had frozen in place at Sokka's flinch. He was breathing in deeply, and Sokka watched as his eyes widened and he took in Sokka's defensive stance. For half a second, something wild flashed in Zuko's eyes, before he shook his head slightly. 

"You're in heat." Zuko said, his voice quiet, but certain. 

Sokka didn't bother to answer. Zuko could smell the answer for himself. 

For a moment, they both stood frozen, the only sound Sokka's harsh, fast breaths that he couldn't quite control. Then, slowly, Zuko took a step back. He raised his hands slightly in front of him, and then lowered his head, turning it to the side and baring his neck. It was a clear show of submission, something Sokka had only seen from an Alpha a few times before, and never to an Omega. What the hell was the prince doing?

"I won't hurt you." Zuko said, sounding slightly awkward but completely sincere. 

Sokka tried to suppress a scoff. Sure, the Fire Nation prince who hated him wouldn't take advantage of his enemy when he was at his most vulnerable. He really believed that. The best he could hope for was that Zuko wouldn't be as rough as he could be, but that didn't mean it was okay. Didn't mean it wouldn't hurt Sokka still. 

Zuko seemed to accept his lack of response, and retreated to the other side of the cell. He sat down, keeping his posture loose and relaxed. Unthreatening. 

Well that was...unusual. Sokka didn't trust Zuko, not at all, but from what he'd seen and heard there weren't many Alphas who wouldn't immediately force themselves on an unbonded omega in heat. It hadn't always been like that, but the years of war and violence, as well as the Fire Nation's doctrine that omegas were second class citizens, had taken their toll on the world. Sokka had heard stories of Omegas coming in to heat in public and being grabbed by strange Alphas on the street. One simply walking away was unheard of.

He waited, still tense against the wall, but Zuko didn't move. Eventually, Sokka lowered himself to the ground, still alert, but at least slightly more comfortable. With nothing else to do, he settled in to wait. 

After a while, the cold started to get to Sokka. He'd been dressed for the warm Fire Nation weather, but this cell, wherever it was, was damp and freezing. He started to shake, and his head was feeling increasingly fuzzy as his heat started to make itself known again. His limbs were aching and his stomach was cramping, and  _ spirits _ he was tired. 

He slumped down further, hugging himself. 

"Do you...um…" Sokka jumped at Zuko's voice, hesitant and unsure. "I have a cloak? If you, I mean, for the cold?" He was holding said cloak in his hands, and it looked dirty and worn but thick and  _ warm.  _ Sokka's brain was too tired to work out what Zuko's motive was here, and he was so cold he couldn't help himself from nodding. 

"Please." He responded slowly. 

Zuko stood up, and took a few steps closer, but then stopped. 

"I can throw it?" He offered, clearly unwilling to intrude on Sokka's space, for some bizarre reason. 

  
Sokka simply held out his hand. Zuko threw the cloak gently towards him, and Sokka caught it easily. Immediately, Zuko retreated to his corner. Sokka peered at him for a moment, trying to work out what his angle was here. Then he pulled the cloak around himself. It was thicker than he would have expected for the prince of the Fire Nation to have, and he was very grateful for the warmth. 

"Aren't you cold?" he found himself asking. 

In response Zuko let out a deep breath, and a slight flicker of flame came out of his mouth. "I'm a firebender, I can keep myself warm if I need to."   
  


"Shit." Sokka murmured. "That's cool." He was finding it hard to think again. The edges of his vision were getting blurry, and with the distraction of the cold lessened he felt himself start to fade into unconsciousness.

*

Zuko was worried about the Water Tribe boy. He didn't exactly like him-a boomerang to the back of the head was rather hard to forget-but he'd never really bothered to hate him either. He'd saved those feelings for the Avatar, and he supposed there was no real point in even hating him, now that he'd turned traitor and ended up here. Here with Sokka, who had slumped down underneath Zuko's cloak and passed out. Who was breathing faster than he should be for someone unconscious. So, Zuko was worried.

He would be worried about anyone stuck in these cells-he could tell you from experience that they weren't exactly pleasant. But an Omega in heat? He wouldn't wish it upon an enemy. Which, he supposed, Sokka technically still was. 

Zuko knew that Omegas weren't the weak, delicate, designed for the home creatures that the Fire Nation made them out to be. He'd always doubted it, having loved his Omega mother, and having spent his childhood watching Ty Lee take down Mai in fight after fight. It was one of the few areas where he and Azula agreed. They'd worked together to keep Ty Lee safe and able to do as she pleased when they were younger, and he knew Azula had had a hand in helping her friend escape when it was time for her to be mated. Still, it had really been brought home to him when he'd been travelling with Uncle in the Earth Kingdom. More than once they'd been helped by an Omega forced into becoming a fighter by their experiences on the road. Uncle too, had told Zuko stories about his Omega wife. From his stories she sounded nothing like the meek domestic ideal Omegas were supposed to be. Yet Uncle's tales had been filled with love.

Zuko had clung on to some of the Fire Nation prejudices for a while, supposing Omegas still preferred to be in the home, or be protected, because he assumed the Fire Lord must be right. How could the doctrine that the Fire Nation had been preaching so ardently be wrong? Except now he knew the Fire Lord was wrong about a whole lot. He'd questioned almost everything he'd ever believed. He'd decided to only trust the things he'd learnt from his mother, or from watching the capable Omegas in the Earth Kingdom.

He knew it was true that going through heat left Omega's vulnerable, though. He'd helped Ty Lee through several. Sokka certainly seemed to be struggling, and Zuko knew that being here, with him, was making it worse. He wished he could do something to help, but he knew he wouldn't be welcome. The only thing he could offer was as much space as possible for Sokka. 

He shifted, taking another deep breath. Sokka smelt  _ divine _ . He'd noticed it once or twice before, when he'd been chasing them. The scent reminded him of cinnamon, and a warm cherry drink he'd had as a child. It had been distracting enough then, but now it was overwhelming. Underneath it though, he could still smell the scent of distress and panic that had been rolling off Sokka when he walked in. 

"Katara?" Sokka's voice was soft and confused. He had raised his head a little, and was blinking blearily across the room at Zuko. "Where are we?"

Zuko swallowed hard. His heart beat fast and he felt slightly sick. Suddenly all he could think of were those first few moments waking up on the ship after his burn. He'd been so confused by the room, sure he should be in his bedchamber. Hadn't wanted to understand, even as his uncle had explained. 

  
"Your sister isn't here." He made himself say. "I'm sorry. We're in prison, remember?"

Sokka's face screwed up a little. 

"It hurts."

He paused, rubbing a hand over his face. For all his complaints of cold, he looked flushed now, beads of sweat dripping on his forehead. Zuko knew that meant he had reached full heat. The part where his body would burn for someone trusted, someone loved. Many people these days thought of heat of something sexual, but Zuko knew it didn't have to be. His mother had always taught him that it was about love. A mating bite would sooth an Omega in heat, true, but so would a mutual scenting, and the feeling of a trusted Alpha close to them. Even Betas could help, if they were close enough. It was about the pack coming together, more than anything, his mother said. 

Zuko looked at Sokka's pained face and was suddenly furious. How could anyone throw an Omega in heat into a cell? Was this what his nation had come to? At least, he thought, with a wry grimace, he knew his decision to leave had been the right one. If only he'd realised that earlier. 

  
Suddenly, Zuko's stomach dropped as he realised something else. They hadn't just thrown Sokka in to a cell. They'd thrown him in with Zuko. With an Alpha. With an Alpha they saw as a criminal. Had they expected Zuko to...to...well. Had they thought he'd do  _ that?!  _ Had they just not cared, or had they done it on purpose, hoping to cause the Omega more pain? Zuko sent a brief thank you to Agni that all of the guards at this prison were Betas. He suspected if there had been an Alpha they would have simply taken Sokka themselves. 

His train of thought was interrupted by Sokka moving. He was getting up, pushing himself onto his knees and crawling across the cell towards him. His eyes were hazy but focused on Zuko.

"What-what are you doing?" Zuko asked. 

Sokka reached him, and paused in front of him. 

"You smell really good." he said. His voice was weak, but slightly more lucid than before. "And it-it hurts." His voice cracked slightly.

He closed his eyes briefly, the red flush deepening even more on his face. "I didn't realise that it could hurt this much without family. I feel like I'm  _ burning.  _ And well, they say sex is the only thing that helps." Sokka huffed out a bitter little laugh. "It feels better just being near you. So you can do whatever you want. I've come to you. It saves time, since I wouldn't be able to stop you anyway." 

Finished with his speech, Sokka stood still, his only movement his still too fast breaths. 

For a moment, Zuko simply gaped. He could understand why the other boy would assume he would take him. Hadn't he just realised that that was exactly what the guards must have assumed? But to offer himself first? It was courage, Zuko realised. A desperate sort of courage, an attempt to make a choice where Sokka thought there was none. Something like admiration filled him. Admiration filled with sadness that his nation had come to this. 

Sokka was still looking at him like he expected Zuko to pounce at any moment. Zuko sighed, and did the only thing that felt like an option. He reached out, and pulled Sokka in to his lap. He felt Sokka tense immediately, but he made no attempt to put his hands anywhere he knew they wouldn't be welcome. Instead he reached for Sokka's arm and pulled it gently to his mouth. Quickly, he scent marked Sokka's wrist. At the same time, he focused on exuding calming pheromones, trying to project safety and protection. 

Sokka's reaction was instantaneous. He whined slightly as he went boneless in Zuko's hold, leaning back into him. 

"Oh that...that really helps the pain." he mumbled, looking back up at Zuko curiously. He looked a little less fearful now. "How did you know how to do that?"

"Sex isn't the only thing that helps." Zuko told him. "Your body just needs to feel close to an Alpha-the same as when family help each other through early heats. It won't be as effective with me as it would be with-ah-someone you trust, but neither would sex. It's about the closeness as much as anything." 

He paused for a moment. "If we scent mark each other, and you stay close, that should be enough to keep the pain away until your heat passes."

To emphasize his point he bared his neck again, a clear offering.

There was a moment of stillness, Sokka clearly considering. Then he leaned up and slowly marked Zuko's scent glands. Despite himself, Zuko felt a shiver of pleasure. No one had marked him, or let themselves be marked by him, since Uncle, months and months ago now. Even then, they had only done it rarely, Zuko unable to divorce the act from the way his father had scent marked him,  _ claiming,  _ before he'd burnt his face. When he'd done it, Zuko had thought it a reprieve, thought it had meant his father was accepting his surrender. Instead it had simply been some twisted mockery.

This though, felt nothing like that. Sokka was clearly the more vulnerable one here, and Zuko wasn't afraid. When Sokka leaned back, Zuko held out his wrists, letting Sokka mark them both. Then, at Sokka's tilted invitation, he leaned in and marked Sokka's scent glands, before marking his other wrist.

  
Sokka let out a small sigh, relaxing further. "Spirits, you smell so good." 

Zuko felt himself flush. "So do you." he admitted quietly

He felt Sokka shiver again, despite his flush. Taking a deep breath, he focused carefully, feeling his inner flame and forcing the heat outwards, careful not to let the fire spill with it. Sokka sighed as the air around them heated. 

"Really fucking cool." He mumbled. He shifted, making himself more comfortable in Zuko's lap, and then he pulled Zuko's arms around him. Sokka rested his head on Zuko's shoulder, and within moments his breathing had evened out, and he was asleep. The flush on his face had faded a little, and his face looked comfortable and peaceful.

Zuko blinked down at him, shocked. It shouldn't have been that  _ easy. _ He'd never even managed to soothe Ty Lee that quickly, and he'd known her for years. It was only supposed to be that easy for mates, and even then it only worked for those who were compatible and had actively chosen each other, rather than being thrown together. 

  
Sokka shouldn't trust him enough for this to have worked as well as it did. The other boy still thought of him as an enemy. Zuko didn't understand. He also didn't understand why the other boys pheromones smelt so good, why the scent of contented Omega made Zuko feel like a proud fire was roaring in his chest. Made him feel like he'd do anything to protect Sokka. 

Confused but comfortable, Zuko tightened his arms around the other boy and settled in to wait. He'd stay awake through Sokka's heat, just in case any of the guards came back. He'd keep him safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning details: There is some mention that Sokka is afraid that Zuko will rape him, and both Sokka and Zuko realise that the guards probably intended for this to happen. Sokka discusses his expectation of this aloud with Zuko. Zuko is horrified, and nothing sexual actually occurs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for the delay in this chapter! I had to self isolate at my grandparent's house and I didn't have access to my laptop, and when I got back I hated everything I had written so it took me a little while to convince myself to post it. I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Sokka woke up comfortable. 

He had one blissful moment of happiness where all he was aware of was warmth, and the smell of something wonderful, something that reminded him of a warm fire and a hot meal, before memories came flooding back to him. 

That smell was Prince Zuko. Enemy. 

Prince Zuko, who, he now realised, he was pressed up against. He was leaning against a wall of the cell, sat on the floor now, with the cloak Zuko had given him last night draped over him. Zuko was sat next to him, Sokka's side pressed against his body, his head on Zuko's shoulder. 

Sokka forced himself not to react. He kept his breathing even and his eyes closed, wanting a moment to think. 

His thoughts were still a little slow, and memories of-hours ago? last night? he had no idea how long he'd been asleep-were still fuzzy. But he could remember making the choice to drag himself across the cell to Zuko. 

His heat hadn't been like he'd been told it would. He hadn't felt out of his mind with desire, desperate to please whatever Alpha was near. 

But it had hurt.  _ Spirits,  _ it had hurt. 

Sokka had never spent a heat without his family before, and everybody knew that being around their birth pack during heat soothed Omegas. In the Southern Water Tribe, that had been easy, since they were always near. He'd thought that it would always be that way, thanless one day he decided to mate, at which point his mate would be there instead. 

Except, once he'd left, he'd heard so much about Omegas that he'd started to wonder if everything he'd known was right, or if things had been kept from him at home because he was too young. The Fire Nation taught that if Omegas were separated from their family in heat they would go mad with lust, and it was therefore acceptable for any Alpha to mate an unmated Omega in heat if they found them without their family there. He knew too, that this rule had been increasingly exploited as the war went on, with soldiers taking Omegas in heat even if they were at home with their families. 

Sokka had heard so many stories that he'd started to wonder if the only reason he hadn't fully lost his head in previous heats had been Katara's presence. 

Well now he knew better. All he had felt was an all consuming pain, the only thing he had been able to think about was making it go away. And Zuko's scent had helped. 

He had been so sure, last night, that Zuko was going to force himself on him anyway. Had thought that any Alpha would have, but especially Zuko, who had spent so long chasing them. So he had steeled himself, and decided that if it was going to happen, at least he could take some control. At least he could end the pain sooner. So he had dragged himself over, fully expecting Zuko to take full advantage of what he was offering. 

But Zuko hadn't hurt him. 

Zuko had done the exact opposite, in fact, had helped him through it as best he could. Had known how to make the pain go away. Had held him carefully and made him feel safe. 

Sokka had no idea what he was supposed to make of that. 

He'd chalk it up to some aberration, some bizarre out of character episode for Zuko, except… Except now that he thought about it, other things were coming back to him. Like the fact that even though Zuko had beaten him easily, way back when they'd first met, he hadn't seriously hurt Sokka, and had made no move to hurt anyone in the village. Like the fact that he hadn't gone back and burnt it when Aang had escaped him. Like the care he'd shown for his uncle when they'd run into them in the Earth Kingdom. Even what Katara had said, about him loosing his mother. 

Plus there was the fact Sokka hadn't taken in the night before. That Zuko was in a prison cell, just like Sokka. He was pretty sure that wasn't any kind of ruse. Zuko had a defeated, worn down air that was hard to fake, and his surprise at seeing Sokka had looked genuine. 

Zuko was still the boy who had chased them half way across the world, and Sokka couldn't forget his desperation to capture Aang. But he was someone else now too, someone who had had Sokka at his most vulnerable and offered only all the care he had to offer. Sokka didn't know what that meant, but it did mean something. 

Carefully, Sokka yawned, pulled his head off Zuko's shoulder, opened his eyes and sat up properly. 

  
Zuko turned to meet his eyes, looking a little awkward.

"Um, morning." Zuko said, his voice so hesitant it instantly made Sokka feel better. 

"Is it?" Sokka asked. "How can you tell?" The cell had a little light, coming from what Sokka assumed were torches outside, but as far as Sokka could see there was no way of telling the time. 

Zuko looked bemused. "I can, uh, sense the sun? It's a firebender thing."

"Huh." It was odd. Sokka had always though of firebending as something for attacking. He supposed that, if pressed, he would have acknowledged that firebenders must use it for starting fires as well. But he had never considered the other uses. But now he had seen Zuko use it to create warmth, and to tell the time. Strange.

Zuko was still staring at him, looking weirdly unsure of himself. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else, but he had made no move to get away. Sokka realised that he was still pressed against Zuko, their legs touching. Zuko must have carefully arranged him last night, making sure that they were still touching to ward off Sokka's pain. The thought filled Sokka with warmth. 

"Listen, Zuko," he began, "About last night-"

"I'm sorry!" Zuko interrupted. "I know I shouldn't have-I know it was taking advantage-but I didn't know what else to do and-" He stopped, shaking his head, distress etched deeply into his face. "I'm just sorry."

"What?" Sokka responded, blankly. Then, before Zuko could answer, he continued. "No, Zuko, I wanted to  _ thank you." _

Zuko looked absolutely floored at that. "To thank me?"

"Yes!" Sokka reached out, grabbing Zuko's hand in an almost unthinking gesture as he continued. "I know what most Alpha's would have done last night. I mean, I made it pretty clear I thought you would...well. The point is that you definitely didn't take advantage. You made the pain go away."

"I...oh." Zuko said, still looking slightly bewildered, like he wasn't sure what to do with Sokka's words. 

"My question," Sokka continued, "Is why?"

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you?" Sokka exclaimed. It's not like he'd wanted Zuko to rape him, but he couldn't understand why he was warm and comfortable and unharmed when Zuko had had every opportunity. 

"Because it's wrong!" Zuko answered, sounding almost angry. "I know we've been enemies, but I wouldn't do that to anyone!"

"Your nation certainly doesn't seem to think it's wrong! When those guards threw me in here, with you, do you think they cared what you did to me?"

For a moment, Zuko looked furious, but then he visibly took a deep breath. 

"You're right. Things in the Fire Nation have to change. Things like this shouldn't be happening. I knew things were bad, but I still didn't think we'd come to this! But I guess I was wrong."

Sokka scrutinised Zuko carefully. He never known any loyal Fire Nation citizen criticize anything about their nation. And he'd said "we've been" enemies. Not "we are".

  
"Zuko," he said slowly "Why exactly are you in a Fire Nation prison? Last I heard you were back in the palace, living it up. How did you end up  _ here? _ "

Zuko flushed slightly. "I was going to come and find you." he answered quietly.

Sokka blinked. "Me?"

"Your whole group. The Avatar." Zuko clarified. "I was going to offer to teach him firebending."   


"You-what? But you hate Aang! That's like-" Sokka waved his hands vaguely, "Your whole deal."

Zuko flushed even deeper, shame filling his face. 

"I was wrong." he said in a rush. "I wanted to go home so badly I made a stupid choice and betrayed my uncle and I didn't even realise it until it was too late. But on the day of the eclipse I went to my father, and I told him I was leaving. I was going to free my uncle after. But then he shot lightning at me-"

"He shot lightning at you?!" Sokka demanded, voice rising despite himself. "At his own son?"

Zuko looked a little bemused by his reaction and shrugged. "I've realised recently that he's not a particularly good father."

"Yeah, no kidding." Sokka shook his head. "So, what, you survived the lightning but then he put you in prison?"

"No. I redirected it, and went to get my uncle, but he had already escaped. So I stole a war balloon and followed your bison, but something went wrong with the ballon and I crashed. I must have hit my head, because I woke up in here." 

He paused for a moment, then added. "I don't think they know who I am. From the questions they asked me they seemed to think I was a deserter. There's protocols they're supposed to follow, but I guess they're so understaffed out here that they haven't gotten around to any of it yet. "

Sokka frowned. "You think father would still help you if he knew you were here?"

"I think he wants me dead." Zuko said, flatly. "I think it's only a matter of time before a soldier who's heard about my scar comes here, or they send out posters with my face on, and I'll be taken back to the capital for a public execution." His voice was almost toneless, but his hands, had clenched tight as he spoke. 

Sokka felt a little sick. To want his own son dead... To throw lightning at him, then to call publicly for his execution. He'd known the Firelord was evil, but he'd always hated him in a vague, abstract kind of way. It was worse somehow, to imagine him as a real human doing awful things. 

For the first time, Sokka thought about what it must have been like, growing up with that kind of man as a father. 

"Well then," he said lightly, "I guess we'll have to escape before that happens."

Zuko shook his head. "I've tried. I can't find a way out."

"Maybe you couldn't on your own," Sokka replied, "But now you have the plan guy with you. I'm a mastermind." He said it with a confidence he didn't quite feel. He was still coming out of his heat, and he doubted he'd be able to move away from Zuko without a return of that crippling pain for at least another day. The soldiers had captured him because of the reward, which meant they'd probably sent word to someone more senior. Which meant, in all likelihood, that someone was coming who would recognise Zuko.

"You're still in heat." Zuko said, echoing Sokka's thoughts. "We can't even move apart from each other. And why do you even care? You shouldn't even trust me to work with you! How do you know I'm telling the truth?!"

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Zuko, I have never been more scared in my life than I was last night. When I realised I was stuck in this cell with an Alpha who was my enemy during my heat."   
  


Zuko's flinch at this was almost imperceptible but, pressed up against his side as he was, Sokka felt it.

"But," Sokka continued, "You didn't take advantage of the situation. You helped me. You're still helping me." he gestured at their position, sat together. "I'd say that makes you trustworthy enough to break out of a prison with."

"But that was just-you shouldn't trust someone just because they don't do the worst thing they could do! That doesn't make any sense!"

"Are you arguing against yourself?" Sokka asked with a grin. 

Zuko looked flustered. "No, I just-" He grabbed his palm with the other hand and began to rub small anxious circles with his finger. "I just don't understand."

"Look, Zuko," Sokka said, slowly. "Here's how I see it. You're here, in a prison, with me. At the very least, that puts us on the same side for now, don't you think? And once we get out, if you did turn against me, I wouldn't be any worse off than I am now. But I don't think you will. I believe you were telling the truth about wanting to join us. You don't strike me as a very good liar."

Zuko was silent at this, but his hands slowed, and then stilled. 

Then he said, "We still don't actually have a way of getting out. I don't think they know I'm a bender, but I've already tried using fire to open the door and it didn't work, and whenever they open the door there are too many of them for me to fight."

"I'll figure something out." Sokka said. "And when I do, you'll help me? We'll work together to escape?" 

Zuko met his eyes. "Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've marked this as the end but I've also changed this to a series, because I have an idea of how things are going to go and I intend to write more. Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing more of this story!
> 
> Comments/kudos massively appreciated!
> 
> starsarewishesindisguise on tumblr if you want to chat


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